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This doesn't just apply to young / junior lawyers. The profession (I'm clinging to that term rather than industry) has changed beyond recognition over the last twenty years. It is a profession that demands a certain level of stress be inherent in it due to the fact that we often work to deadlines, and due to the fact that we have to have knowledge of complex issues.

There is a correspondent below who mentioned that the profession was one that they had entered into with the wrongly held belief that there would be a level of respect and that it would pay reasonably well. Not a chance; so far as most people are concerned we rank lower than slugs with regards to being respected, and the more cuts are made to funding and the ability to recover reasonable costs, the less likely it is that salaries will be attractive.

I go home on a daily basis feeling like a wrung out sponge, and under-appreciated - and I am my own boss. This is because no matter how much you do for people and how available you are - and I had a telephone call at 1.10 am on Christmas Day morning on the out of hours phone - this is not something that is ever enough. If you don't return a call, an e-mail, a text enquiry, within 5 minutes, the service standard is too low. It's exhausting.

Somebody below mentioned being 'a solicitor, not a servant' - think again. We are constantly having to provide more and more service for less money, and with more restrictions and red tape hampering our every move, and on top of that we are expected to compete with other 'providers of legal services' who do not have such restrictions.

As the junior lawyer progresses through their career, the stress increases, it doesn't get easier. On top of the stress already encountered comes such things as supervising other staff, dealing with complaints, administration of a department or a firm, dealing with the bank, regulatory requirements, HR etc.

So, I ask - why restrict this questionnaire to junior lawyers? And for that matter, why would anybody want to be a lawyer at all?